A collection of stories about Nami and Paulie
by Ascaisil
Summary: Just what it says. I love those two together but it's really rare to find anything about them so I decided to write my own. Don't know how many I'll end up doing, but at least three.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** So like the title says this is going to be a collection of one-shots based around Paulie and Nami. Because I love them. :P I'll just warn you now...I am incapable of writing "short" stories, so these will probably end up being kind of long one-shots. lol. This is probably the shortest story I've ever written and it's still over a thousand words. xD

Oh, and I don't own the characters. I keep forgetting to do disclaimers, but don't sue me. I got nothing anyway. Except my husband and my cats, and you can't have either. :P  


* * *

He knew she was there. Strawhat's navigator had been hovering, trying to stay out of sight, for at least an hour now. He turned his head to look at her and she ducked behind the corner again. _'This is ridiculous.'_

He didn't know what she was trying to do, but she had caught the attention of more than a few of his workers, who were now watching her instead of concentrating on their work, and he was getting annoyed.

With an aggravated sigh the head foreman of the Galley-La Company Dock No.1 set his sander back down on his work table. He had originally planned to ignore her until she approached, but it didn't look like that was going to happen any time soon, so he was left with no choice but to confront her.

"Keep going." Paulie said to Lulu as he turned. "I'll be back in a bit."

The dark haired man waved to show he had heard but didn't look up from the plans he was working on.

As Paulie walked to the corner he gave those watching a meaningful glare, letting them know he was aware they had been slacking off and that they'd better stop it. They got the point and the shipyards suddenly became very busy again.

Since she was still hiding she didn't know he had approached, and after rounding the corner he stopped to lean against the wall and watched her wring her hands in agitation, while waiting for her to look up and notice him.

The copper haired woman paced back and forth while still staring at the ground, her lips moving as if she was rehearsing something she wanted to say.

Amused despite himself the blond cleared his throat, and then grinned when the woman looked up, startled. "Did you need something?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. The pirate looked around, acting very nervous, and then cleared her throat. "Uh…Do you…Can I speak to you for a moment?"

Paulie tilted his head to look at her. In the four long weeks the Strawhat Pirates had been in Water 7 he had never heard her sound so….meek. She was usually very bossy and violent with her crew when she didn't get her way. This unusual shift in attitude wasn't like her at all and he had a second to wonder if something bad was happening before she spoke up again.

"Are you busy right now? I could come back." Unaware she twisted her hands together again, and then looked down, unable to meet his eyes.

'_Well that answers that question…'_

If she wasn't in a rush to speak to him there probably wasn't anything too serious happening. So what did she want to talk about? Curious in spite of himself Paulie nodded at the pirate. "Now's good. What's up?"

Absently she nodded. "Is there somewhere private we could talk?" She looked around again; making sure no one was close enough to hear them.

Now this was really strange…He nodded again and motioned her to follow him. He had an office in the Galley-La Headquarters, though he was hardly ever in it, but at least it was private. As he led her through the large building adjacent to the shipyards he wondered about her strange behavior. She seemed nervous, though he couldn't imagine why, and she walked with her head down, still twisting her fingers together.

He opened the office door and let her inside before him. There wasn't much room so he leaned against the desk while she sat in the only chair. The shipwright folded his arms across his chest, watching her while waiting for her to speak.

She had finally stopped fidgeting, but after only a moment she lifted one hand and tangled her fingers through her hair, twisting it around in circles.

"Um…"

Paulie blinked in surprise. Was she blushing?!

Well….he certainly wasn't expecting that. Her nervous behavior, wanting to talk to him in private, and now her glowing pink cheeks, the poor blond was beginning to draw a conclusion as to what this was about…and it made him unbelievably nervous.

When they sat again for a minute in silence he reached up to scratch the back of his head, feeling flustered. What was he suppose to say? She _was_ very pretty, and he actually _did_ kind of like her strong personality, but she would be leaving tomorrow morning since their ship was finished, so there was no way this could go anywhere…He felt his own face heating up. This was becoming unbearably awkward.

"Uh…look. I think I know what this is about and…um, well I'm flattered but…"

Nami looked up at him with an incredulous look on her face. "That's not it at all, you moron!! I'm trying to thank you!!" And while he was still stunned by her outburst she bit her lip in embarrassment and looked down at her lap again.

'_Thank me? What for?' _He ignored the slight disappointment he was feeling, focusing instead on her words. There wasn't anything he could recall needing to be thanked for.

The pirate spoke again, still blushing a bright red. "I..I never thanked you. For everything you did…to help us save Robin…" She absently picked at a loose thread in her skirt. He could see her chewing her lower lip nervously. "Thank you." It was almost a whisper. "Thank you for helping us...we wouldn't have been able to save her if you hadn't..."

So that was it then. She was acting all nervous and embarrassed 'cause she hadn't thanked him earlier? It wasn't like he had ever asked to be thanked…he had done what he did for his own reasons. Her behavior had really been confusing him, and it was for something as stupid as that?

"Oh, is that all…" He accidentally said out loud.

She looked up at him, her eyes flashing, and he tried to back pedal. "I didn't mean…I was just-"

But, having finally gotten the words out and no longer needing to worry about them, she stood up to glare at him with her hands on her hips. "Whaddya mean 'is that all?'?! What else did you think I was talking about?!" Then she got a sly look on her face. "Oooohh." The navigator stressed the word while tilting her head down so she could look at him through her lashes. "I see. That's what you were _wanting_ this conversation to be about."

Her lips curved upwards into a sexy smirk. "Well, I'm flattered but-"

Hastily he cut her off. "That's not it either!" He shouted while waving his hands around. "I was…I mean…You were acting like…!" He felt his face getting hotter and hotter as he stammered and she looked up at him with a knowing little smile.

The beautiful woman took a step closer to him, and leaning against the desk as he had been he suddenly realized he was trapped.

"Well…" She actually leaned on him, her eyes twinkling in amusement, and her hands resting on his shoulders. "You never know, do you?" She said playfully. He was vaguely aware that he was staring at her with his mouth hanging open, feeling completely flummoxed.

And then, while he was still immobilized by shock, she stretched up onto her tip toes and brushed her lips against his. By the time he had regained his senses she had retreated to the door, wearing that sexy smirk again. "See ya later Paulie…" Then she tossed a wink at him and disappeared out of his office leaving him to gap after her.

He had no idea what had just happened. Or how. Or why!!

He sat on the chair she had just vacated. _W-what the hell does that shameless woman think she's doing?!!'_ He ranted inwardly. Paulie stared at his closed office door as if he could see where she had gone. Hesitantly he touched his lips where they had met. He could feel a grin fighting to spread across his face and he finally gave in.

'_I'll never understand that woman…'_

But the thought wasn't nearly as distressing as it might have once been. The blond stood again and strode to the door. Lulu was probably still waiting for him to come back. The shipwright continued his work that day without any other incidents.

But no one could guess why he smiled the whole time.

* * *

**AN:** So that's that. I actually liked how this turned out, even though it ended up being completely different from what I planned. If anybody has any plot suggestions for me that would be awesome! And of course, if you wanted to review it would be awesome too. :P I want to know what people think, so drop me a line yeah?

P.S. Thanks to Aska the light for encouraging me to do this. You're awesome! ^-^


	2. Debt

**AN: **I'm surprised at myself! I got this one done in less than an hour, which is very unlike me! But I really enjoyed writing it so...awesomesauce! It's still a bit long but I'm amazed at how short these are. I've been writing a one shot from Zoro's POV, it's 11 pages and still not done yet! xD

JFlower, your suggestion made me laugh so hard I thought I was going to die! xD You're right too!! I can totally see it!! I don't know if I'd be capable of writing Sadi-chan's personality but that would definitely be awesome! lol.

And thanks to Moonlit Mage, Aska the light, and Cedzbenz, you three are my favorite people in the world! (Well, some of them at least. :P)

I am disclaiming again! I don't own any of these characters, I just like to play with them once in a while. :)

* * *

Robin and Nami were making their way back to the Galley-La Company Headquarters; a few shopping bags in hand. Thanks to their good-for-nothing crew they were 100,000 Beri shorter than planned, and so their shopping had mostly consisted of looking for bargains, and haggling with merchants. But thanks to Nami's superior negotiating skills they had managed to get away with more than a normal person could, and now their bags full of new clothes swung at their sides as the two women walked along the barely crowded streets.

They were chatting cheerfully about inconsequential things when suddenly the head foreman of Galley-La sprinted past them, accidentally knocking two bags out of the navigator's hand and into the water.

"Paulie!!!!" Nami shriek in rage. Incredulously she stared after the fleeing shipwright who had turned, while still running, to shout an apology and then kept going. "You get back here!!! All my new stuff is ruined!!!"

It was too late as the blond had already rounded a corner, and the pirate was left to fume after him. Since she had been busy yelling after him she had failed to notice Robin saving her bags from being swept away. She had also failed to notice the three men running down the street in the same direction as the vanished carpenter.

One slammed into her shoulder, spinning her around, and making her fall flat on her butt. The three men also shouted hasty apologies but continued to sprint away from the woman who was now shouting abuse after them.

Robin reached down and gently helped the other woman to her feet, ignoring the angry words spilling from her companion's mouth.

"Unbelievable!!" The copper haired woman muttered as she brushed herself off. "What jerks!! What-Oh! Thank you Robin." Her triad was cut off as the archeologist handed her the two soaked bags. Nami grimaced but took them, holding them away from her body, and her last bag, to keep from being dripped on.

"Sorry I wasn't able to catch them before they landed." The taller woman apologized, but her companion shook her head. "It certainly wasn't _your_ fault! Ooooo…When I get my hands on that stupid jerk!!" She sighed angrily as they continued on their way home. "I'll make him pay twice as much as they cost me!!" She vowed.

Robin hid a smile behind one hand as the younger woman began plotting how best to extort money from the master shipwright.

* * *

As for Paulie, he continued to run, dodging between people, and shouting apologies when he accidentally collided with someone. He was sorry about it, but he didn't have time to stop and apologize. Which, knowing Nami, was going to get him into a lot of trouble later. But for the mean time he needed to find somewhere to hide.

'_Persistent bastards!!' _He thought wearily. _'At least they've stopped gaining on me…'_

The said persistent bastards were none other than his debt collectors, and he didn't have the time, (not to mention the money) to talk to them. The blond's eye was caught by a metal hook hanging from a three story window.

'_That's my ticket!'_

Throwing one hand forward a rope shot out of his coat sleeve, spiraling until it caught the iron hook perfectly. The shipwright wasted no time in climbing the rope, using the wall as a spring board when he reached the top, and landing on the roof across from the building he had just jumped from.

And just in the nick of time too. The three men who had been chasing him rounded the last corner and then frantically looked all around for the missing shipwright.

When it became apparent he had managed to dodge them once again the leader began shouting some very uncomplimentary things while his lackeys tried to pull him away. After a few minutes the shorter man gave in and allowed himself to be lead back the way they had just come.

'_Victory.'_ The blond smirked.

* * *

He had been right to be wary of the pirate navigator when he returned to the shipyards. Though he would have liked to avoid it the copper haired woman cornered him and began a list of outrageous expenses for her ruined clothing.

"Look!" He interrupted her. "I can't pay that! Why the hell do you think I was running in the first place?!"

Unimpressed the woman crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at him angrily. "That's got nothing to do with me!!" She insisted. Then, after a pause, she added. "That was those loan sharks again right?"

Running a hand through his hair in frustration the blond nodded. It wasn't like it was a secret he was deeply in debt, but still…having her know about it really irked him. He didn't want to hear a lecture from her.

But to his surprise a lecture was apparently not what she had in mind. The lovely woman tilted her head to the side, a puzzled frown on her face, and asked, "Why don't you try a payment plan?"

He blinked.

"Payment plan?" He repeated.

She nodded thoughtfully. "It's not that difficult to set up really…You give yourself a certain amount a month for necessities like food and shelter, then a percentage, say 10%, goes to the loan sharks, and then a percentage, like 10%, goes as your spending money. That way you can be paying off your debt, paying your bills, and not having to cut play money from your budget completely."

That….actually made a lot of sense…

Looking down at the ground the carpenter did some mental calculations. He could probably do that. He had tried before to go "cold turkey" and cut play money from his budget completely but hadn't been able to stick with it, which only ended with him having more gambling debts. But…this did make a lot of sense. Trust Nami to know the best way to deal with money.

"Yeah…I could do that. Thanks. And sorry about your clothes."

To his utmost shock the woman in front of him waved it off. "That's all right." She said airily, then got a grin on her face and held one hand up in the universal money sign. "Now…about my consultation fee then."

The pirate managed to keep this pose for only a few seconds before she began laughing helplessly. "You should have….you should have _seen_ the look on your face!!!" She was laughing so hard she had to reach out and put one hand on the shipwright's shoulder to steady herself.

Paulie could tell his face had gone red. He hated it when she teased him like this. And she did it _all the time!_

He gave an aggravated sigh as he watched the giggling pirate. When she had regained control of her senses she looked up at him smiling. It was a friendly smile but something about it put the carpenter on the alert. She was planning something…

"Seriously though," She said conversationally. "You might be used to running from those debt collectors but…" She smirked up at him. "_I_ always make sure people pay what they owe me."

He glared at her, beginning to say that he didn't have any money, and that it was ridiculous to charge for advice, when she continued.

"I think I'll take…_this_ as my fee."

Then she reached up, the hand that had been resting on his shoulder grabbing him by the back of the neck, pulling the surprised man down, and firmly pressed her lips to his.

He didn't move. He might have been in too much shock to move, he wasn't really sure. The kiss lasted for only a minute but…oh what a minute it was!! The pirate finally pulled away, still smiling up at him, and released his neck.

"Bet that'll teach you to pay your debts on time." She murmured warmly.

"W…What…?" He managed to choke out.

Still completely at ease the beautiful woman grinned up at him unrepentantly. "Better watch out…my fee's gather a lot of interest. And you still owe me for my ruined clothes." Then she gave him a another little smirk and walked away, whistling cheerfully.

"That's…" He cleared his throat to call after her. "That's some kind of fee."

She turned but continued to walk backwards away from him, her arms slipping behind her to clasp each other. "I think I'll make myself your consultant more often." She said teasingly, then turned around again and left.

Paulie grinned after her foolishly. _'I think I can handle that.'

* * *

_

**AN: **I realize that for this to happen Paulie must not have a cigar in his mouth. Honestly, that didn't occur to me until I was finished. Whoops! I'll try and remember that more, but I like how this one turned out too. And I realize I've been writing from Paulie's POV but it just seems so unlikely that he would make the first move, and I don't know how to write a story where the person whose POV I'm using is _planning_ on making a move. Did that make sense? xD I am planning on writing from Nami's POV, and at least one story where Paulie instigates, but I don't have plots for them yet. xD Like I said, I need input please!!

Once again, thanks to everybody who encourages me. ^-^


	3. Teasing

**AN:** This was so, soooo, very enjoyable to write. I had written the idea to have her tease him about his female fans down a couple of days ago, and when I first started writing it turned into something else. Something that I may or may not post, depending on how much I get done on it. So this is my second attempt and I gotta say...This one was definitely fun to write. :D I can't tell you how hard I laughed when bits and pieces would come to me that I'd add in. Again, it's nothing like I had originally planned, but I like it much better this way so, yeah. I'm satisfied. :P

Disclaimering!!! I don't own these characters!

* * *

"My, my…look whose Mr. Popularity…" The copper haired pirate nudged her companion and pointed at the blond shipwright who had just run into the Dock No.1 shipyards, past the two women sitting on a work table, and raced inside the Headquarters building. Hot on his heels, to the gates at least, was a group of six women, calling after him with a love-struck look in their eyes. To the navigators utmost amusement the panicked shipwright could be heard shouting, "Go the hell away!! I don't have time to deal with you!!" But he steadfastly remained hidden in the building.

Beside her Robin hid an amused smile behind her hand. "He really seems to be in a hurry today, doesn't he?" She asked innocently.

The two women exchanged knowing smiles. In the back of her mind though Nami wondered, _'What was that all about anyway?'_

Eventually the carpenter ventured back into the shipyard, and when he found his admirers had gone he visibly relaxed. Then, seeming to shake himself out of it, he started towards the table the two women were still lounging on.

"Get off the table." He said absently as he reached them. His hands had already found the set of blueprints he had been working on before he had been called away.

Robin, polite as always, hopped off the table with no more prompting. Seeing her companion was not going to comply so easily, and knowing that when these two started fighting it could last for hours, she smiled warmly at the younger woman and excused herself.

Nami waved goodbye as her crew mate wandered away, but her focus was on the handsome man working next to her. She was never one to let an opportunity pass her by after all.

Smiling devilishly the navigator deliberately leaned on the shipwrights work, making him look up at her in annoyance. "Didn't I tell you to get off the table already?" He groused.

"Mm." She said noncommittally. The blond hated to be teased, she knew from experience, so she pretended to be looking at her nails and answered in a disinterested tone of voice. "What's that Paulie?"

True to his nature the shipwright's eye ticked in annoyance. "Nami."

Smiling privately to herself she looked at him. "Yes?"

"Get your ass off my work table."

The copper haired woman laughed. It was just so _fun _to get him riled up! Teasing the master carpenter had become a favorite pastime for the pirate. And he made it so easy too. She could start a conversation on just about anything and have him blushing within minutes. _'Like so…'_

Batting her lashes at him she slipped off the table, but leaned back against it, resting on her elbows. "Hey Paulie…" She said thoughtfully.

"Hm?" He didn't look up from what he was doing.

"What's with all your girlfriends?" She asked, forcing herself to keep a straight face.

His explosion of denial was instant. "They're not…!! I don't…!!" Yep. Bright red already. Inwardly she gave herself a point.

Keeping her face artfully innocent she listened to his stuttering. "They're not?" She said in a shocked voice, making her eyes go wide. "You mean you're playing them _all, _and they don't even know it?!" She gave him a fake disapproving frown. "Paulie! I'm shocked at you!" She made a tsk noise while shaking her head. "I didn't think you disliked women _that_ much…"

By this time the shipwright looked like he was choking on his own tongue. Frantically he waved his hands around and finally was able to shout, "That's not true and you know it!!"

His words presented her with a new venue to attack and she nearly spoiled the whole thing by giggling. _'Chance..!' _She thought cheerfully.

"I do?" And then she gasped as if shocked and leaned in. "You mean those rumors about you not liking women _at all_ are true?!"

The blonde's eyes bulged in shocked disbelief, his thoughts written all over his face. _'Rumors about WHAT?!?!'_ He was so stunned his cigar dropped from his lips and he didn't even notice.

Nami almost felt sorry for him…maybe this was a little too much for the poor man to handle…but then again, this was probably the best reaction she had gotten so far and she was loath to let him off the hook.

His shouts had deteriorated into incomprehensible noises, almost words but not quite. It occurred to her that his blood pressure was probably through the roof…well she didn't want him to have a heart attack…she did kinda like the guy after all.

With a dramatic sigh the navigator opened her mouth to release him from her torture, and then gasped as the blond picked her up and hauled her into the shadow of the nearest building.

"What the hell...?! Who..?! Where…?!" He was so angry he couldn't even complete a full sentence. And he was no longer shouting, but his voice was still very, very upset.

'_Uh oh…I think he's lost it.'_

Perhaps she _had_ gone too far. She had seen Paulie go through a vast range of emotions but she couldn't recall ever seeing him this angry before. The pirate felt slightly ashamed…she had really let things get out of hand. Thinking quickly she bit her lip, tilting her head downward so she could look up at him through her lashes, giving the appearance of being contrite.

"I was only teasing you…I'm sorry." The blonde's face was still a thundercloud so she continued. "No one ever said any such thing…I just got carried away…" She peeked up at him. Oh, she was in trouble. He had stopped sputtering and was now glaring down at her murderously. "Sorry…?" She said weakly.

"What _ever_ possessed you…?!!" His voice was nearly a growl it was so low. "You never, _ever_ question a man's sexuality like that, _got it?!!_" He snarled.

"Eh? What are you so worked up about? It's not true is it?"

Nami bit her lip as the smart ass words left her mouth. Dear God….she must be secretly suicidal!! "Er…I-I mean…"

She wasn't given the second chance to apologize.

"You…!!!"

Then he picked her up again, as though she weighed nothing, pressed her back against the wall, and kissed her roughly.

While her brain was in absolute shock her body had other things in mind as she found her arms wrapped around his neck, kissing him back for all she was worth.

His kiss was intoxicatingly sweet but not gentle, and while she was kissing him back he certainly was not going to let her lead. He tilted his head to the side as he slanted his mouth across hers, forcing her to move with him, and pressed his tongue against the seem of her lips.

With a shaky moan she opened her mouth and followed his lead as he deepened the kiss…there was no doubt as to who was in control of the situation but, at the moment at least, Nami didn't care.

Their passionate kiss must have lasted for several minutes because she could hardly breathe when he released her. She found herself still backed into the wall, the shipwright's hands on either side of her face, and he was glaring down at her again.

"If I _ever_ hear you make a joke like that again-" He started, but the dazed pirate broke in without thinking, sounding hopeful. "You'll do that again?"

Oops. She really needed to calm down and start thinking again before she spoke. But her head was feeling slightly scrambled and it wasn't from lack of oxygen.

Lucky, or maybe not, for her the carpenter's anger was fading quickly, to be replaced with amusement. "Oh no." He purred as he leaned down so his lips were almost touching her ear. "If you want kisses I suggest _not_ making me angry like that again."

She couldn't repress the shudder her body made at the intimacy in his voice. He chuckled deeply at her reaction and then pulled away. The blond was now smirking at her wickedly. He had not just scored a point in the game they played, he had won a whole match and they both knew it. The blush which Nami hadn't noticed infusing her cheeks now spread to cover her whole face. The knowing look in his eye told her he was not going to forget this new bargaining chip he had found. If she wasn't very careful with her teasing from now on he would tease her back…and as this situation had just made clear, if reactions were what won points in their game, he could beat her hands down any time he wanted.

"I hope I've made my point clear." His voice was low again but not angry and the pirate had to force herself not to shiver again at his tone. He rested one arm against the wall above her head and leaned on it so he could look down at her. "I definitely prefer the company of women." He said teasingly. "Don't ever think I don't."

Not able to trust her voice Nami nodded at him meekly. "Okay." She managed to say in a small voice. He smirked again, sexily, and pushed off from the wall to walk away from the building and back towards his work table without another word.

After he had gone the copper haired woman let her breath out in a shaky explosion of air. _'Oooooohhh Shit…'_ Her favorite pastime had just changed radically, and she was positive she wouldn't be able to hold up as well as he did, if he started teasing her as much as she teased him.

But then again…Nami realized her own smirk had crept back onto her face…what was a game without a little challenge? _'And,'_ She thought as she looked in the direction her sexy opponent had gone. _'I think I can handle losing once in a while.'_

She licked her lips, catching the last lingering taste of him, and then deserted the shadows to return to the Galley-La building. Yes…her game had just become much, much more interesting…and fun.

* * *

**AN:** So there we go. Finally one from Nami's POV, Paulie instigates, and I've never actually tried writing a kissing scene so I gave it a shot. Overall I really do like how things turned out. And I can't tell you how much fun I've been having writing these. lol. I'm betting I enjoy them a lot more than anyone else does. xD

Much love and thanks to my reviewers! You guys make me majorly happy!! :D

By the way, aren't my story titles just amazing? *ironic voice* Yeah, I'm freaking creative. :)


	4. Good Morning

**AN: **So here I am again. ^-^ Another one shot that gave me the kicks and giggles to write. Nami is just so _evil!!!_ But she gets what she deserves, so ha! Thanks you guys for your reviews. They make me a happy happy person. I know I've said it before but they really do. I might find what I write fun but it's horrid just sitting there wondering if anyone else even likes it, so you make me very happy, and confident. And confidence is what makes me write more! xD

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything from One Piece. Those belong to Oda...who is apparently determined to ruin world happiness. *goes into a corner and cries*

* * *

"Brubrubrubru…"

Even in his sleep Paulie grimaced at the annoyingly loud ring. He would have liked to roll over and go back to sleep but there was something heavy on him so he was stuck.

"Brubrubrubru…"

'_Go away!'_ His sleep clogged mind demanded.

"Brubrubrubru…"

Finally the shipwright peeked one eye open, then groaned at the stabbing sunlight filtering in through his windows. Grumpily he reached for the den den mushi, grateful it was on his coffee table so he wouldn't have to get up.

Wait…why was he asleep on his couch?

His hand hit the side of the ringing creature and he forgot about it. "What?!" He growled into the receiver. Now that he had the damn thing he closed his eyes again. _'Fucking sun….too bright.'_

"Hey you asshole!!" Snarled an angry voice on the line. "Why the hell didn't you bring Nami-san home last night?!!"

'_Nami…?'_

"Uh..?" He said articulately.

"I know you two went out drinking last night, and she never came back..! You better not have left her alone!!!"

Oh yeah…He and Nami _had_ gone out drinking last night…but most of the night was a blank fuzz to him. Damn…it looked like he was going to have to get up after all.

"Are you listening to me, jackass?!!"

The shipwright's slowly moving brain finally identified the voice as Sanji's. "Um…she's…" The carpenter opened his eyes reluctantly, knowing he was going to have to be fully awake to remember…

"?!"

The copper hair covered head shifted against his chest as his eyes widened. "She's…fine…" He hoped his voice didn't sound as panicked as he felt.

Nami was still sleeping peacefully, despite her agitated nakama's voice coming over the line. Paulie was stretched out on his couch and the lovely pirate was lying on top of him, the thin old blanket his grandmother had made him years ago was spread out over them both.

'_Clothes?!!'_ He thought in panic…Oh wait. They were both wearing them. So nothing like…_that_…had happened.

"Then where is she?!!"

He had almost forgotten the angry cook, his shock had been so great. The blond carpenter hastily thought through the answers he could give. If Sanji even _suspected_ he had taken advantage of the beautiful navigator he'd be a dead man. Even though it was an innocent mistake, (he hoped,) there was no way he could explain his current situation without the other man flying off the handle and committing genocide.

He forced his voice to remain calm. "Look, it was late when we stopped drinking and the shipyards are far away, she just crashed here last night." _'Sound casual. Don't sound guilty.'_

"SHE SLEPT THERE?!!!" The pirate roared.

Paulie winced, and then his eyes widened again, this time in horror, as the shout had apparently woken the sleeping woman.

"Hmmm?" She lifted her head from his chest, reaching up with one hand to rub her eyes as she looked around sleepily.

He was so dead.

If Nami didn't kill him first than Sanji definitely would.

The navigator finally met his eyes, seeming to asses the situation, and grasp it much quicker than he had. He knew he must have a panicked look on his face by now. But the cook was still waiting for an answer and if he didn't give one…

"Nothing happened!!!" He said loudly, both to the receiver and to the woman who, appearing remarkably calm, was looking at him with raised eyebrows.

"It better not have!! If you did anything I'll kick your ass!!"

Nami looked at the receiver, obviously recognizing her nakama's voice, and then a slow smile crept onto her face.

To the shipwright's absolute horror she rested her elbows against either side of him, shifting herself forward as she did, and spoke right next to the receiver.

"Oh, is that Sanji-kun?" She said sweetly.

"Naaaami-swaaaaaaaaaan~!!!" From the other end the male pirate's voice had suddenly become sugar coated. "Are you okay?!"

The meaning behind the question was clear, and the shipwright looked up at the woman who was still lounging against him, desperately. His life was in her hands and she knew it.

The devilish woman smirked at the carpenter….oh, she knew the position of power she was in. She would have liked to drag it out, and really make him nervous, but if she didn't answer Sanji-kun would get the wrong idea.

"Of course I am!" She said cheerfully. "Paulie was a complete gentleman."

Tension drained out of the body she was lying on, and a wave of relief passed over her companion's face before she opened her mouth again, smiling wickedly, her eyes dancing in delight.

"He certainly didn't do anything I didn't _want_ him to do."

The other end of the line went silent as Paulie started at her in open mouthed horror. _'Tell me she didn't just say that?!!'_

The silence lasted for all of five seconds before the other pirate began yelling at the top of his lungs.

"YOOOOOOU?!!! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!"

"She's lying!!" Paulie shouted back at the receiver desperately. Both men were stopped in their ranting as the woman in question began laughing.

Since she was _still_ lying on top of him he could feel her laughter shake all the way through his body and instantly his face turned bright red.

"Sanji-kun!!" Still laughing the woman took the receiver from his hands. "Sanji-kun, I'm KIDDING!!! Do you really think Paulie would ever do something like that?!!" Finally she sat up, though this left her sitting on his stomach. She smirked down at him again. "He doesn't have the guts."

The shipwright's eyes flashed dangerously. That was just low!

Completely forgetting the other man for a second he grumbled under his breath, "I could if I _wanted_ to…" Then glanced apprehensively at the receiver…luckily she was holding it far enough away that he wasn't overheard…by Sanji at least.

Her smirk hadn't left her face as she leaned down till she was nose to nose with him, holding the receiver away so she wouldn't be heard either. "Prove it." She challenged softly.

Ignoring the burning heat spreading all across his face he glared at her. There was no way in hell he could do anything with Sanji still on the line and she knew that damn well!

"No?" She murmured softly. "What a shock…" She pulled away, looking triumphant.

One…Paulie had a lot of pride and Nami had been pushing him since the day he met her. Two…she thought she could get away with anything, with no repercussions. Three…he was damn tired of her assuming she knew him well enough to judge him like that.

He grabbed the hand that still held the receiver and pulled it down so he could be heard by the other blond. "She's fine. I'm hanging up now." Before either pirate could protest he had placed the receiver back onto its cradle.

Since he still held one of Nami's hands captive it was easy to pull her back down to meet his eyes. "I think you're about to be shocked." He said quietly.

And while the beautiful woman was still gaping at him he pulled her down, his other hand slipping up to cradle her head by the back of her neck, and kissed her firmly.

She was unresponsive at first, maybe she _was_ in shock, but then Nami melted against him and within seconds he realized she hand wound her arms around his neck, pressing herself closer.

He had meant it to be a demonstration, but the situation was quickly getting out of his hands as the copper haired woman opened her mouth slightly and licked his lips. Moving on instinct he did the same and soon their tongues were caressing each other softly.

They kissed passionately for a few minutes before she pulled back, and he let her.

Breathing heavily she met his eyes again, an almost dazed look on her face. "I stand corrected." She said softly.

He almost didn't understand what she meant, his reason for kissing her in the first place had just about slipped his mind, but he inwardly shook himself, trying to regain his senses. "Damn right you are."

She smiled again. "You could always prove me wrong again…" She added suggestively. His moment of bravo past the blond began blushing again. "Uh…I don't think you need to be reminded again so soon…" He mumbled, beginning to feel very embarrassed. A small, amused smile returned to the navigators face. "Are you sure?" Her voice had taken on its normal teasing tone, but she leaned back away from him, clearly respecting his wishes.

Smiling saucily she finally stood from the couch completely and allowed him to escape.

Paulie moved to the other side of the room, not quite trusting himself. Still watching him with a knowing look Nami stretched, arching her back slightly while her short shirt rode up her stomach.

He coughed in embarrassment and looked away, listening to her silvery laugh. "Well, you were right anyway…but I think Sanji-kun might still want to _talk_ to you."

Ah shit!! He had completely forgotten about the angry pirate who was probably wanting to kill him! …Actually he had forgotten about everything for a moment there…he sighed as he searched around for a cigar and lighter. Even though he was the one who started it, it seemed like Nami always won.

Searching the pockets of his coat which had been laid across the kitchen counter he didn't see or hear her approach.

"Oh don't worry Paulie." She said cheerfully. He almost jumped when she reached up and pat his cheek, making her smile knowingly again. "I'll protect you." She said teasingly.

He lit his cigar, as she gathered her own coat and slipped on her high heeled sandals. It seemed, in his attempt to prove something (now he wasn't even sure what he _had_ been attempting to prove) to her, he had only given her a whole new way of teasing him…one that she looked like she was going to enjoy as much as possible. "Well," He grunted. "Let's go."

He let her out of the apartment first and then locked it behind him. "Oh and Paulie…" Exhaling his cigar smoke he looked over at her.

"?"

"You _will_ remind me again later, won't you?" She smiled impishly as he choked. Oh yes…there was no way she was going to let him live this down…

* * *

**AN: **lol. They're so freaking cute.

I'll warn you now, the next chapter is going to be a long-ish one, I'm attempting to write a one-shot where they _actually_ end up together. As fun as these are to write they're kind of hit and miss in the romance category. So the next chapter might end up a little mushy. xD

Er...and to anyone wondering what happened the night before they stopped at his apartment to get a glass of water and ended falling asleep next to each other. They shifted position in the middle of the night...to be more comfy. :) Actually...now that I'm thinking about it I might decide to do a one shot of that. xD

And Aska the Light: I'm sooooo sorry!! I don't know if I'll have time to update before I leave (in like...a few hours) so...yeah. I'm sorry I didn't answer, my hubby came home early and we've been running around since then. xD


	5. Going Shopping

**AN: **This one ended up being a tad (or like, three times) longer than the others have so far. Sorry about that. :P I said it in the last chapter but most of my one-shots don't have a definite "these people are a couple" ending, so that's what I was trying to do with this one. I didn't know how to end it though, so there ended up being the smallest hint of ZoRo in the end. xD

Anyway, hope you guys like it, and I don't own any of these people. :)

Oh yeah, and I used line breaks to show where it changed from one person's POV to another, hopefully that will cut down on the confusion.

* * *

The pirate gave him a whimsical smile, which he stoutly ignored.

"Pleeeeease?"

She gave a pleading look while batting her eyelashes at him. He turned away again, trying to keep her from his line of sight. Undoubtedly she knew if she was persistent enough he would eventually give in. And to make it more difficult for him she wasn't just pleading with him, she was trying to use those feminine wiles of hers! There was no low she wouldn't sink to if it meant she'd get her way.

"I said no. Go ask somebody else." He grumbled. "Why don't you get that crazy chef of yours to help you?"

She sighed theatrically. "Sanji-kun is just so busy…everyone is lately." When he refused to look at her she narrowed her eyes, then a slow smile spread across her face. The shipwright was carefully measuring an angle on the blueprints he was working on, so she leaned her weight against the table, bringer her chest to his eye level.

Just as she predicted the blond immediately jerked back up to his full height, trying in vain to fight the blush spreading across his face. "Go away!!" He rasped angrily. But he had already made the mistake of looking her in the eyes.

Pressing her advantage she leaned against his shoulder, looking up at him with a down trodden expression. "Please?" She practically whimpered. "I really need your help." And then she pulled the dirtiest trick she could on him. Large tears welled up in her eyes and she looked down, pretending to wipe them away.

"Argh!"

Still looking down Nami allowed herself a tiny smile. _'Victory is mine.'_

"Fine!!" He said in frustration, throwing his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "But this better not take all day!!"

She clasped her hands together and looked up at him with a cheerful smile. "It won't~!" She sing-songed, then giggled at his low groan.

* * *

This was how the master shipwright found himself carrying the devious woman's packages around town as she went on _another_ shopping spree. He sighed loudly again as he watched her haggle with a merchant, letting her know how tedious this all was to him. Nami grinned at him from over her shoulder and then turned back to the poor man she was hassling ruthlessly.

Eventually the shopkeeper caved, as had the last _ten_, and gave her the deal she wanted. Nami leaned down and pat the weary man's cheek sympathetically then picked up her loot and exited the shop. Still smiling cheerfully she handed the blond carpenter her new package. "Thank you!"

Paulie grunted a short response. "Are you done yet?" He hated the almost pleading tone in his voice but there wasn't anything he could do about that, he was starting to feel desperate.

Like the shopkeeper she pat his cheek, smiling sympathetically, but then turned with one fist in the air. "On to the next one!!" She shouted, almost like a battle cry. The shipwright groaned.

"Nami!! You've already bought more than you need! Why can't you just be satisfied with what you've got?!"

She turned to look at him with narrowed eyes, but instead of the lecture he had been expecting she linked her arm with his, causing his face to burn.

"Oh alright…" Her voice sounded like she was being asked to give up something precious. "If you insist…"

The shipwright's shoulders relaxed. He felt enormously pleased with himself…it was nearly impossible to stop her once she was started…but it appeared the pirate was finally going to have mercy-

"We can at least go drop these packages off before the next store." She finished then smiled up at him brightly when he groaned again.

"You're merciless woman!" He complained, giving her a bitter look.

In response she her rubbed her cheek against his coat covered arm, grinning up at him, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Thank you Paulie~!!"

The blond looked around, paranoid that her unnatural affection was being noticed, but it didn't appear anyone was paying attention to them. He tried to disentangle himself from her with no luck. Stubbornly she clung to him, grinning up at him with unabashed delight at his struggles. She really had no idea did she?

Nami was a complete flirt, and he knew he shouldn't take her seriously, but sometimes…Paulie sighed and gave up, there was no point in fighting her, it was as though he could never win…

They continued, arm in arm, down the street while the copper haired woman chatted about inconsequential things, and soon the gigantic Dock No.1 doors came into sight. To his great relief the navigator finally released him and once again adopted a bossy tone as she directed him where to put her new things.

After setting everything down he would have like to escape the Strawhat's temporary apartment, but Nami grabbed him by the back of the jacket. "Where do you think you're going?" She said firmly.

"I've got stuff to do!! I told you I wasn't going to-"

Those damn tears welled up again and she stood looking at him with a pitifully sad look on her face. "But…"

He needed to do something or she'd get him again...the blond smirked as he had a suddenly brilliant idea. "Alright Nami," He said amicably. "I'll keep helping you, but I've got a condition."

Sensing a trap the pirate gave him a wary look. "Such as?"

"I'm supposed to be working right now." He said casually. "If I don't work I can't pay rent and all that. You want my help you gotta pay what I would make if I stayed here and actually _did_ my job."

Bingo. No way would the stingy woman part with anything of monetary value. Nami loved money. "So I'll be going now…" He grinned down at her, feeling like he had won for once.

This is why his grin suddenly faltered when he realized she was also smiling. That didn't bode well for him.

Fluttering her eyelashes flirtatiously the navigator moved closer to him. Reaching up one delicate hand she placed it on his chest, a coy look in her eyes. "I can't pay you right now but….I'll pay you later…" Ignoring his hastily drawn in breath she leaned up to put her mouth close to his ear. "With. My. Body."

The shipwright gave a strangled cry as he jerked away from her. Unaware of the real turmoil she had just sent him into the lovely woman began laughing. Paulie's fists clenched angrily. She thought this was only about embarrassment…

"What is _wrong_ with you?!" He shouted.

The strained emotion in his voice made her stop, her eyes widening with real surprise. "It was just a joke Paulie." She said, but her voice was doubtful.

Yeah…it was just a joke…to _her_.

"Get a clue already!!" He snapped.

Angrily he moved away from her. Nami was a flirt. He _knew_ that. But sometimes her innocent flirting went too far. Would it kill her to think about his actual feelings once in a while? But that was part of the problem…because she was such a tremendous flirt it had probably never occurred to her that eventually she would wind up teasing someone who genuinely cared about her.

Behind him the beautiful woman was watching his back doubtfully. _'Get a clue? A clue about what?' _Hesitantly she reached out a hand and lay in on the stiff man's shoulder. "Paulie?" She said when he didn't react. "I didn't know it would bother you this much. I'm sorry."

The blond took in a deep breath and then let it out again, exhaling his cigar smoke as he did. "Forget it." He said shortly.

"But…um…why did…?"

He shook his head and swiftly turned around, catching her wrist. "Just…Just forget about it Nami. Sorry I over reacted."

He could see the doubtful look in her eyes but he shrugged, feigning indifference, and hoping she'd let it drop. He would be in trouble if she didn't…if she pushed he knew he would eventually give in to her whims, like he always did.

She bit her lip, still watching him with worried eyes. That wasn't good. It meant she might be curious enough to ask, despite him telling her to drop it. He knew her well enough to guess what she was thinking…if she started…crap! She had begun twirling one lock of hair, a sure sign that she was going to ask him a question he didn't want to answer.

* * *

Seeing her determination to ask settle on her face the blond gave her a pleading look. "Don't…" He said quietly.

Internally she struggled for a moment between obeying his wishes and asking for the truth. Paulie might be an easy target when it came to teasing, but it didn't mean he was an emotional pushover, his reaction had been even stronger than she had guessed. Why?

Yes, he was super shy, and that last shot might possibly have been enough to give him a heart attack, but his outburst had been fueled by anger, not embarrassment. Why would he be-?

Nami's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. _'Get a clue?'_ Was it possible…Paulie was angry at her because…because he actually _liked_ her? Earlier, when she had been hanging off of his arm, she had rubbed her cheek against his jacket and instead of the freak out she had expected he had looked around nervously and then just let her do what she wanted…really…the only reason he had been out with her today was because he had given in to her manipulations, even though he _knew_ she was manipulating him.

The more she pondered the possibility the more it seemed probable. Paulie suddenly released her wrist and she belatedly realized he had been holding it while she thought. She looked up at him wonderingly and noticed the nervous look he was giving her.

Almost like he didn't want her to think about the little interaction they had just had…

"Were we going out again?" He suddenly blurted.

The shipwright must have meant it as a distraction, but more than her own tumbling thoughts this confirmed her theory. A man willingly going shopping? Not a chance in hell. And especially not Paulie.

The only conclusion she could come to was that he…

Nami felt her cheeks warming as she stared up at him and she immediately dropped her gaze. Feeling unbelievably nervous she twisted her hands together. Since she and her crew weren't going to be in Water 7 forever she had…she had enjoyed teasing the shy man in front of her, enjoyed it quite a bit more than was strictly necessary. Deep in the back of her mind she had always like him as…well more than as a friend. But this wasn't a permanent situation so she had flirted with him outrageously, allowing herself to enjoy her time near him as much as possible, but knowing that ultimately they would be moving on.

"Um…I….You…" She couldn't believe how difficult it had suddenly become to talk. Her cheeks were now a rosy red, her breath had quickened, and her heart was beating much harder than normal. It was so loud she was afraid he would hear it.

"Paulie, I…"

"Don't we have to go?" His voice had a definite edge of panic in it. The fact that he was as nervous with her as she suddenly was with him made her feel a little better.

* * *

The shipwright stepped away from her, trying to inconspicuously make his way to the door. It was absolutely unbearable…he was positive Nami had him all figured out, and though a small part of him was relieved by that, the larger part of him panicked at the idea that she might start avoiding him.

Her voice stopped him from making a clean get away.

"My adopted mother…used to tease my foster father like that."

The blond looked at her in confusion. What was she…?

"He would always get really embarrassed and shout at her to not teach my sister and I stuff like that. But I…they really cared about each other, you know? I think one of Gen-san's biggest regrets is that he didn't ever tell her how much he cared before she died…"

Nami's head was tilted down, and she was gazing at a spot on the floor but he could tell what she was saying was very important to her.

"That's why I…." He noticed she was breathing shallowly. "I decided that if I…ever found someone I cared about…I wouldn't be afraid to tell them…"

He stared at her in complete disbelief as she raised her eyes to meet his. She was biting her lip again but gave him a shaky smile. "It's a lot harder than I thought it would be." She admit softly.

"It's…?" The shipwright stopped. Did he understand what she was saying, or was his mind just interpreting it the way he wanted it?!

* * *

Nervously she licked her lips. "Look Paulie…I l-l-li…"

Argh! Why was she stuttering like a love sick teenager?! (She ignored the fact that at nineteen she technically _was_ still a teenager.) She told him she wanted to be brave enough to tell the truth, but she wanted to do it at least somewhat gracefully!

'_Okay. Get a hold of yourself. Just say what you think…you've never had a problem speaking your mind before!'_

Resolved, she lifted her eyes to meet his again. He was watching her intensely, intense enough that it made breathing just a little bit harder but she mentally grit her teeth and forced herself to speak.

"I like you Paulie. I tease you _because_ I like you. I'm…sorry if that makes you uncomfortable…" She wanted so badly to drop her eyes! Who would have ever imagined it would be so hard to just admit feelings? "I-"

He cleared his throat and she stopped. "Are you telling me," His voice was soft but just as intense as his gaze had been. "That the reason you've been teasing me none stop for the last three weeks is because you…_care_ about me…?"

Unable to stand it anymore she did drop her eyes. Well…yes. That was what she had done…but did he _have_ to put it like that? She felt her face growing even warmer. He didn't exactly sound angry but…

"Nami, look at me."

When she didn't he step towards her and lifted her chin with one hand. He didn't _look_ angry either…but then again, she couldn't tell _what_ he was feeling so it was possible he was furious and she was just not getting it.

"I think you at least owe me an answer." He said when she still didn't say anything. The navigator wanted to duck her head again but he was still holding her steady so she couldn't.

'_What happened to being poised and graceful?' _She chastised herself.

"Yes." _'There, that wasn't so hard was it?'_

The blond suddenly reached up to pluck the cigar out of his mouth, shaking his head at her while she bit her lip. It would have been better if she had never opened her mouth! She should have just dropped the subject like he-

"I will never understand you." He said in exasperation. Using the hand still holding her chin he brought her face to his. "You make no sense Nami…" He said softly.

Then he kissed her.

A thousand thoughts might have run through her mind, or maybe it was only a few, but the one that stood out was, _oh…This is…nice…'_

"What ever happened to the good old fashioned way of telling someone you care?" He murmured softly when he released her lips. There was definite amusement in his voice now.

Feeling wildly off balance the pirate tried to regain some ground. "You didn't say anything either." She reminded him. Unaware she had reached her arms up behind his head and the fingers of one hand were gently playing with the hair at the back of his neck.

He smiled down at her. "I guess I didn't." Then he kissed her again, softly, sweetly. The same thought occurred to them at the same time. _'I could get use to this…'

* * *

_

Two of the three pirates in the doorway gawked at the couple kissing in the middle of their apartments. Neither the shipwright nor the navigator had noticed them.

Smiling softly Robin shooed Zoro and Chopper back out, shutting the door softly so as not to disturb them. Stepping back out into the sunshine Robin smiled brightly.

"Well," The archeologist said, a note of satisfaction in her voice. "I'm glad _that's_ taken care of."

The two males with her gave her incredulous looks.

"You knew that was going to happen?" Chopper asked, looking up at her with wide eyed innocence. "Of course." The tall woman replied, a fond smile on her face. "They've been dancing around it ever since they met. Hadn't you noticed?"

The swordsman grunted, appearing to regain his equilibrium. "Whatever. I'm going back inside." He was stopped short as the beautiful woman grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Oh no you won't." She said with uncharacteristic firmness. "If you interrupt them you'll have _me_ to deal with."

Again the other pirate gave her an incredulous look.

Robin didn't break eye contact. "It won't hurt you to wait a while…" Then she narrowed her eyes and said the last thing he ever expected from her. "Trying to go in there right now _might._" Then she gave him a look to let him know she was serious and turned back to the small doctor who was watching their interaction with an amused smile on his face.

"Doctor-kun," She said warmly, the animosity gone from her voice. "Why don't the three of us go get some lunch? My treat."

"Yeah!" He raised one furry arm into the air in agreement.

Robin smiled down at him and then grabbed the still flabbergast swordsman's sleeve, using it to pull him behind her as she lead them both away from the building.

She smiled privately. _'Good for you, Nami-chan…'

* * *

_

**AN:** lol. The idea of Nami doing that thing to Paulie that Bellmere-san always did to Gen just made me laugh. xD Hopefully the ending worked out okay, without being too sickeningly sweet, but still a happy ending. And I love ZoRo stuff, so sorry that snuck in here too. xD

P.S. I decided to update this one even though I'm running out of one shot ideas in celebration of my Epic/Water 7 story getting 40 reviews! Yay~!! And to those of you thinking that's sad...It's the most I've ever gotten on one story, and if it's so sad then you should add to the numbers. (wink, wink, nudge, nudge.) :)


	6. Swimming

**AN:** Woot! So I said before, but I'm really freaking happy that I found one of my favorite fanfic sites again; and gloriousness! They have an entire _archive_ of One Hour Challenges! So I am having massive amounts of fun writing again, (hurray!) and I'm very happy that I have _something_ to update. I still don't know what my updating schedule will be like, but at least I'm writing. :)

One Hour Challenge #301 by Dertupio

**"The kiddie department wants to know when they can get back their swimsuit."**

**"Very funny. Then why haven't you taken your eyes off me since I took my clothes off?"**

* * *

"I have been waiting _forever_ for this!"

Nearly skipping with joy the navigator of the Strawhat pirates moved to the enormous poolside, smiling dreamily as she dropped her towel onto the lounge chair. "And it's the _perfect_ day to go swimming too!"

Practically purring in contentment the petite woman began stripping off her clothes, eager to get down to her swimsuit and into the water.

"Aaaaahhhhh~!" Feeling more relaxed than she had in ages the pirate slid first her legs into the pool and then followed with the rest of her body. Oooh, it was _heavenly_!

Smiling cheerfully she began swimming back and forth slowly, enjoying the coolness of the water compared to the heat of the day, as well as the silky sensation of her body cutting through the liquid smoothly.

For several minutes the pirate simply floated along, ignoring the other people hanging around…she could feel the furiously embarrassed stare of a certain someone but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of thinking he had gotten to her.

Humming happily to herself the copper haired woman eventually pulled herself from the welcoming embrace of the water; she didn't bother drying her body, the sun would do that, instead she sank into the lounge chair where she had left her things and then basked in the warm golden glow.

Nami continued to ignore the furious glare she was receiving from Galley-La's head foreman as she stretched luxuriously beside the pool. The blond was standing with Lulu and Tyselin but she could _feel_ the intensity of it…

Her lips curled upwards into a self satisfied smile at his heated gaze. "Did you have something to _say_ to me Paulie?"

The two other men stopped their conversation briefly, but when they realized it was most likely the start of _another _argument they ignored it. Paulie, on the other hand, took her words as the challenge that they were and the blond stomped closer to her.

"What do you think you're _doing_, you shameless woman?"

Reaching up in a lazy motion she began twirling her fingers through her still watery hair as she smirked at him. "Sun bathing." The twitching in his eyebrow only made her feel all the more satisfied. "And before that I was swimming… in the _swimming pool_."

He didn't appreciate her sarcastic wit apparently. Folding his arms in a pseudo-intimidating manner the shipwright snorted softly. "The kiddie department wants to know when they can get back their swimsuit."

She gave him a tolerantly amused smile, her tone teasing. "Very funny. Then why haven't you taken your eyes off me since I took my clothes off?"

The carpenter's glare increased. "Have you _no_ shame?" He demanded furiously. "I have told you a _thousand times_, and yet you _still_ can't be bothered to keep yourself clothed properly!"

She waved one slim hand up at him, feigning boredom. "Yeah, yeah…" Very deliberately she stretched again; it gave her such a heady feeling when the overbearing shipwright couldn't tear his eyes away from her. "You've said it closer to a _million_ times! But you know what…?" Smiling smugly the petite woman rose to her feet; she still barely reached his shoulder. Sauntering closer she laid one hand against his chest, secretly pleased at his quick intake of air. "Your boss _invited_ us here, and _he_ never said anything about it…so I think that you…" She stepped closer and was rewarded by his hasty step back. "Just need to deal with it…"

The blond's eyes narrowed angrily; Iceburg-san was probably the _one_ person in the world that Paulie would _never_ go against in anything. Before he could find some way to refute her logic she spoke again; she _loved_ the effect she had on him!

"Besides Paulie," She practically caressed his name as she said it. "You _know_ that you really like it…if you didn't you wouldn't be watching me all the time."

The carpenter made a choking noise in the back of this throat. Still smiling knowingly at him she stepped closer again and looked up at him coyly. "This is an argument you can't win…I'd give up if I were you." Then she gently pushed at his chest; without his realizing it the tricky woman had backed him to the edge of the pool, all it took was one last step away as she pushed him and then the head foreman was wind milling his arms, trying to keep himself from falling into the waiting water.

She had _thought_ she'd won…but as his last desperate act the stubborn man grabbed her around the waist and they both went tripping backwards, creating a huge splash.

With his hands around her Nami was unable to drag herself back to the surface immediately, in fact…The pirate blinked furiously, trying to see…That son of a _bitch_!

Paulie was grinning up at her from the bottom of the pool, very deliberately holding her underwater longer. She attempted to hit him with no real effect. Instead he dragged her down further from the surface, apparently taking enjoyment in her struggling.

She knew the shipwright wouldn't keep her down there long enough to _drown_…but it was a toss-up between the idea that he would keep her underwater long enough for her to go unconscious or let her up if she gave him a pleading look.

…_Or_…

Regaining her smirk Nami stopped fighting, sinking down to lie on top of the suddenly startled man. He must have guessed her plan because he stubbornly kept his arms around her waist.

That was okay…the idea that he would let her up if she pressed closer had been a long shot anyway…no, what the copper haired pirate was after wasn't an escape…she just needed enough _air_.

While his hands were tangled up around her she had the advantage of using hers to pull him closer; one tangling in his hair and one grabbing his shoulder. He must have realized it at the last second; his eyes went very wide just before the petite tease pressed her lips to his.

When she was sure their mouths were sealed together she slid her tongue out to touch his lips, and just like she had guessed the shipwright's opened as he tried to gasp in shock.

The air that he had been holding flowed into her mouth; she would have enjoyed her victory except the man recovered faster than she had given him credit for. Paulie's tongue slipped into her mouth and the precious oxygen she had just stolen from him escaped _her_ just as easily.

Furious at being beaten at her own game the pirate copied him, being sure to press her body close, her fingers tightening in his hair; she absolutely _refused_ to lose to Paulie, especially when it came to _kissing_!

The carpenter's hands tightened around her waist…and then one of _his_ hands had reached up to tangle with _her_ hair and they were turning in the water so she was pressed against the bottom of the pool.

Ooookaaaay…Somehow she didn't think they were fighting for air anymore. And as unexpected as it was she didn't _mind_!

The kiss couldn't have lasted for more than a minute, (they didn't have _that_ much oxygen between them,) and the two were forced to return to the surface.

Gasping desperately for the missing air Nami found that Paulie's hands were once again around her waist, in fact the blond was very chivalrously helping her back out of the pool.

Coughing and sputtering for breath the petite woman found herself peeking at her companion, seeing him in a new light.

Lulu and Tyselin had come over and were helping the soaking blond out as well. She felt almost _shy_ as she observed the carpenters; his nakama were laughing loudly at his expense, while Paulie himself was trying unsuccessfully to wring out his shirt and jacket.

"W-well…" Shaking her wet hair away from her face the navigator tried to think of what to say now, but the blond had already turned back to her, a smug smirk on his face. "Teach you to push _me_ in the water, didn't I?"

He was facing her, not his nakama, so she was the only one who saw the shipwright give her a very deliberate once-over, his smirk widening. "Care to try again, Nami?"

Flushing slightly but smirking in return the pirate's eyes slid up and down his wet body as well. "Anytime…" She purred.

Sharing one last heated look they separated again; Nami stretched back out on her lounge chair in the sun, and Paulie left to change out of his soaking clothes, both quite satisfied with the exchange.

* * *

**AN: **Short little blurb about Nami and Paulie, 'cause I loves them. /heart

Hope you guys enjoy! And please keep sending me ideas! I write them all down so if inspirations strikes I'll have them on hand. :P Please review too!


End file.
